Socialist and Muslim Brotherhood Working Together

Concern should be increasing over actions in the Middle East and not just because totalitarian regimes are killing protesters. It has been pointed out before that the so-called “Arab Spring” might not be all wine and roses.  In what might fall under the category of strange bedfellows, the progressive far left and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) might very well be in cahoots together in the protests that have swept the Middle East this year.

In this video over at Glenn Beck’s The Blaze, ties between the MB and socialist groups are starting to crystallize. The leftist press support of these movements really came as no surprise to many on the right. The progressive have never really met a protest they didn’t like.  Well, except for that lousy American Revolution 235+ years ago which brought about individual liberty and which the left has been trying to bring down ever since. But I do sometimes find it odd that the left would support these MB dudes. With the stoning of gays common place and women having to wear veils to hide their faces and the routine persecution of Christians what’s not there for a progressive to love. I wonder if progressive leaders have ever really sat down and thought what these MB people would do to them once the Caliphate gets established. I guess in the progressive mind it is all a means to an end. I just don’t really think they realize that it will be the end of them once the MB has control. Their high and mighty naivety is really going to come back and bite them in the backside.

More Taxpayer Money for Electric Vehicles

This is just not going to wash for me. When there is talk about cutting the pay of military members as part of getting spending under control and cutting the deficit.  The alternative energy expansion is already receiving government subsidies in the form of tax breaks and direct stimulus money. There is now another movement on Capitol Hill to give additional taxpayer money to companies and individuals to develop electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and purchase EVs.

This is an Arab Spring?

How’s this for an “Arab Spring”?  I wasn’t there (although my kids might beg to differ), but I have never seen any reports that Americans or the British were guilty of these kinds of crimes during our American Revolution.  Maybe it was buried, but I really don’t think so. Maybe it did occur, but I doubt it was to the level reported in this story.

Pay Cuts for Our Military? UPDATE: 2 Jun

In these tough times, everyone in the government is going to have to make some sacrifices to get our budget problems under control. Now it seems that outgoing SecDef has put cuts to military pay and compensation on the table as a cost-cutting measure.

President Obama has asked the Department of Defense to cut $400B and one of the ways that this could be accomplished is by cutting the pay of our Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, and Sailors. Obama is already not terribly popular among those serving. There are many who feel he is out of touch with members of the military. I can speak first-hand on this. While deployed on 2009 he came for a visit and folks were not interested in attending. Watching videos of former President Bush’s visit compared to Obama’s there was a stark difference between the ways folks responded to each individual. Bush got a rousing welcome with lots of cheers, while Obama’s greeting was respectful but certainly not over the top. I spoke to a couple of people who attended Obama’s meet-and-greet and they said Obama seemed surprised that he didn’t get the kind of welcome he had come to expect when greeting other well-wishers.  His Executive Order eliminating Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and then pushing Congress to allow gays to serve openly in the military is a very good indicator of how out of touch he is with respect to the men and women of the military.  I point this out because if he OKs pay and benefit cuts what little inroads he has made with the military will disappear completely.

House Votes Down Debt Ceiling Increase

This was just a symbolic vote, but I am glad to see the Republicans are going to stick to their guns (is that violent rhetoric?) over the debt ceiling issue. I don’t know enough to say whether not raising the debt ceiling (don’t trust Tim G. as far I could throw him) would cause harm to our nation, but I do know that this is a great chance to start the process of whittling away at the debt and out of control spending.

Slow Blogging

Sorry about the lack of updates this weekend. Been busy. Family times are the best of times.  Hopefully an update or two tonight, then more as the week progresses.  Have a great Memorial Day

Snowfall Records Continue to Be Set

Most of my readers know that I am not a proponent of man-made global warming. This opposition is based on two things. First of all, I am a meteorologist. While I was not trained as some prestigious school like Peen State or MIT, steeped in scientific learning, I have years of practical experience. I have studied weather trends that occur over the short duration as well as climatic trends that occur over the centuries (and longer). And if there is one thing that I do know is that weather changes from day to day, year to year, decade to decade, century to century, and eon to eon.

The second reason why I have my doubts is that of those who believe in global warming and would like to change how we live (dramatic change in many cases) tend to be of the progressive/socialist belief system. To many of these people, it isn’t so much that they want necessarily want to change the way we live to save the planet, they want us to change our ways because they want to control our ways. The want to dictate what kind of car we drive, how warm or cool we keep our houses, and even where we live.

Obama's Hostility Towards Domestic Energy Production

Yesterday I blogged about getting educated on matters of policy and the body-political. I mentioned that the political elite depend on us not being educated to further their agenda. This is especially true of the progressives and their socialistic agenda. If the folks were properly educated, most of the agenda they are trying to push through would never see the light of day.

Mike over at Confederate Yankee has an excellent post that touches on this subject very well. If the people had been willing to educate themselves on the policies that Obama had in store for us, he most likely would not have been elected. If anyone had cared to dig a little Obama’s desire for our nation when it comes to energy production and use was very clear. And those policies have become even more apparent over the 2+ years he has been President. Form his shut down of off-shore drilling, to pushing ethanol subsidies even though it is a waste of taxpayer money, to the administration’s fight against shale fracking, and wasteful spending on renewable energy the Obama Administration has proven to be hostile towards nearly all forms of traditional energy production.

Education would have made his moves all that more difficult. All one has to do is try.

Egypt Opens Gaza Border

Many folks who have not been enamored with the so-called Arab Spring and the takeover of Egypt by the Muslim Brotherhood have been concerned about how the new leadership in Egypt will treat Israel. Those concerns have been justified as proven by what has just recently happened. For the past several years, the border crossing from Egypt into Gaza has been tightly control. This has reduced the ability of the folks living in Gaza to travel. It has also reduced the amount of weaponry moving into Gaza through this border point. Now that the border has been opened I think we can expect the number and the level of attacks against Israel to increase significantly.

Educate Thy Self

Further proof that democrats have been and are still out of touch with most Americans.  First it was the health care bill, then it was the appointment of the SCOTUS Justices who are far to the left, then it was domestic energy production.  Now it appears that a majority of Americans support a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

The one thing that continues to confuse me is how democrats continue to get elected. I know there are location across the US that a conservative politician would have an easier time selling heaters in a hot place than get elected in that particular district. San Francisco comes to mind, as does Portland, OR and some locations in New York.  But outside of these very liberal districts, why is it that democrats continue to get elected?

Unions Still Control California

Unions continue to maintain control in California despite the weight of state debt threatening to collapse the state economy and government. Most recently, the prison guards union has been able to get a new contract enforced through Gov. Jerry Brown. In this contract, the guards are allowed to bank unlimited vacation time unit retirement (current value: $600M) and they will not be subjected to searches despite evidence that smuggling into prison is a real problem.  Doug over at Director Blue has the full scoop.

And my wife still wants to move here.

Economic Recovery Still Dragging

A couple of stories about are economy.

First, the job news and economic recovery is not so good. Jobless claims are up again and the economy grew at a very anemic rate of 1.8% last quarter.

Second, the foreclosures are a HUGE drag on the economy. Some cities are seeing home values depressed as much as 50% due to the amount of foreclosures and short sales on the market. Until this issue has been fixed, our economic grow will be muted.

Trump as an Independent?

Let’s hope this is just a joke. The last thing we need is some cowboy running as an Independent. For whatever reason, Obama remains popular and the 2012 election will most likely be a close one.  If Trump does decide to pull a Perot, he could very well cost Republicans the White House in 2012.

Deep inside, I really hope he decides not to run. I know this is an ego thing for Trump as he continuously searches for approval.  But Trump cannot be considered a stupid man. Let us hope that his brains overrule his ego and he foregoes this folly before he does some serious damage like letting Obama win a second term.

I am filing this under stupidity.

Misplaced Faith in the Arab Spring

For the past several months the left wing media has taken conservative bloggers and commentators to the woodshed whenever they have mentioned the possible troubles that loom in the future over the changes now going on the in Middle East. The leftist press has called it the “Arab Spring” and a democratic movement. No mentions made that the likely winner in all this change is going to be groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, who have vast organizations set up all over the Middle East, ready to take advantage of situations just like Egypt.

AARPs Corrupt Ties to Washington DC

If you are over 50 and are either a member or contemplating a membership with AARP, then this is a must read article. The level of corruption and downright dishonestly outlined in by Chuck Roger is quite stunning. I recently turned 50 so I am eligible for AARP membership but unless there no alternatives, I have no plans on joining this corrupt enterprise that walked hand in hand with Obama and Pelosi in getting Obama care passed.

AARP was recently awarded a waiver from provisions of Obama care. One of the mandates of the mandates of Obama care was that insurance companies had to provide justification for premium increases. AARP is now exempt from this requirement. Essentially, this allows AARP to raise insurance rates as they see fit rather than through a government appointed panel.

The article goes on to point out the cherry picked data used for studies of prescription drug costs and the outright lies when presenting this and other data.

The longer we go with this current administration the more it becomes apparent that Chicago style kickbacks and back scratching are more often the rule rather than the exception.

Favoritism, Nah it Can’t Be

Michael Barone of the Washington Examiner has a great take on the possible corruption that is part and parcel of the Obama administration. He does an admirable job of pointing out how democrat supporters are receiving special favors, like the unions be granted waivers from provisions of Obama care. In another example he shows that some non-profit organizations are being targeted by the IRS, which happen to have Republican moral and monetary support.

Clinton Agress with Ryan (Sort of)

As noted yesterday, a democrat won a special election in a generally Republican New York district. I also pointed out that one of the reasons why the democrat won was because the fake tea Party candidate most likely pulled enough votes from the Republican to swing the election over to the democrat.

There is also another reason why this election turned out not so good for Republicans; Paul Ryan’s supposed destruction of Medicare. The dems have been fast and loose with their dissemination of information; some going as far as saying Ryan wants old people to die.

Senate Passes Spending Bill

The State of Washington has now passed a spending bill that covers the next two years. The budget bill cuts over $5B in spending over the next two years.  Coupled with this savings, usage fees have either been increased of initiated.

New Fees:

$30.00 annual fee for state park and recreation use.

This fee is expected to raise some $70M dollars over the next two years but there are some concerns that folks in the lower income brackets my no longer afford to use the parks. There is some validity in those concerns. When you live paycheck to paycheck, thirty bucks is a big deal.

It is Not Climate Change

This is just stupid beyond belief. Al Roker, the “Today” show weather bubba is blaming the increased tornadoes on climate change. Well, he could have had a decent argument. The number of tornadoes is at the extreme maximum amount but my research indicates we are still below a couple of years in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Where he blew it and probably showed that he really might not know what he is talking about is when said this:

“We have had these tornadoes and earlier this week we had a tornado in Philadelphia. And so, you know out weather, or climate change is such now that we are seeing this kind of weather not just in rural parts of our country, but in urban centers as well.” (Source: The Daily Caller)

Bloom Off the Rose?

Is there a rift between the two most powerful democrats in Washington? Sen. Harry Reid has publically disagreed with President Obama’s stance on Israel returning to pre-1967 borders.  This could prove to be interesting. How long before Obama calls Reid to the woodshed for a little wall-to-wall counseling?  Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke before a joint session of Congress where he was much better received than Netanyahu’s visit to the White House.

Did a Tea Party Candidate Cost a Republican a House Seat?

When all is said and done, the race for district 26 in New York really has little impact on the overall balance in Congress. Where the impact lies is with how the democrats might have played a little fast and loose with the rules. In the special election in district 26 there are three candidates, Jane Corwin (R), Kathy Hochul (D), and Jack Davis (Supposed Tea Party candidate). Actually, Davis is a former democrat whose campaign manager had this to say about Tea Partiers:

“The (Tea Parties) are essentially replaying the ‘60s protest paradigm (We’re aging baby boomers ourselves, so we know it when we see it). They fancy themselves the vanguard of a revolution, when in fact they are typical self-absorbed, privileged children used to have their way – now – and uninhibited about complaining loudly when they don’t.  it’s the same demographic Spior Agnew called “an effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals.” (Source: Red State)

Teachers, Administrators, to See Salary Cuts

Based on the actions by the teachers unions a couple of months back, this little piece of news is not going to sit well.  In a way, I can understand where they are coming from. No one likes to receive a pay cut, especially when you are performing your job in a proper manner. But these are hard times all over. The Washington State Legislature has been trying for several months to close a $5B+ budget shortfall. In their efforts to get a budget put together, many services have been cut and fees have been raised.

In my local area, one of the school districts is already planning on laying off some teachers. The district that serves my town did not have to lay off any teachers, but it was real close. In fact, one of my regular readers has lost their teaching job, although I do not know what district in which they teach (and I am not going to ask).

No Blogging Today

Work was a killer today. I had to cover two departments so PACNW Righty is one worn out puppy. I'll be back like gangbusters tomorrow though.

Weekend Links

Not much this week.

LOCAL:

1. A couple of light rail links

Tunnel boring has begun on a tunnel that will link the WU campus with downtown. This project is expected to cost $2B. Anyone want to guess the over/under?

Sound Transit may to renege on a voter approved bond to expand light rail to Federal Way, WA. In the original bond, money would be provided to expand light rail from Seattle to Federal Way sometime around 2025. Now it looks like it could as late as 2040. Don’t think I’ll be riding on the initial train.

2. Boeing Expanding. The Renton plant, which has seen decreases in recent years, is looking to expand as business for Boeing picks up.  1,200 workers are expected to be hired by 2013. This is really good news for our local area.

A Friend Gone

Many years ago I was involved with Youth for Christ as a teenager. I made some terrific friends. There were three (and occasionally four) of us who palled around together A LOT.  We shared stories, heartbreak, triumphs, and our souls.  After I joined the Air Force, we kind of drifted apart. The first couple of years we tried to get together whenever I was home on leave, but we were building separate lives.

Last year I retired from the Air Force and I was asked to gather some pictures of my life for a slideshow. Most of the images I have around the house are from when my wife and I got married to present day. But I was able to find an old album of pictures taken at a youth retreat in the Montana Rockies we attended when we were in high school. The awesome memories of the times we spent together came flooding back.  While these friends of mine were never very far from my mind, seeing the old images brought many great memories flooding back.

We Have the Energy We Need, But We don't Use It.

I wonder if any of you know that America has the world’s largest reserves natural energy reserves. And do you know why we are not tapping into these reserves?  Doug over at Director Blue has the answer. He also provides a quick breakdown of exactly what we have sitting under our own soil and oceans. For years both sides of the aisle have talked about reducing our dependence on foreign oil for our energy while we sit on the world’s largest reserves of energy. That is what environmental nuttiness will do to a nation.

Weekend Update

1. Unions for Palestine. In the opening paragraph of my initial Weekend Update I wrote that I would provide updates on what I posted over the past week. When I posted this little tidbit I had no idea that Israel’s world was about to implode with the stupidity emanating from the White House. So much as happened that I am not sure where to begin. But I did blog about it later in the week so I will add updates (and there are a few) there.

2. The West Coast Green Highway and My Concerns. Environmental stupidity and waste is something I try to follow so I can provide you with occasional updates. Well, I have discovered something that will be of particular interest to my local (i.e. PACNW) readers and general interest for the rest of you.  It seems that the Washington State Legislature has passed a law that is requiring all planning commissions (local, county, regional) to include EV infrastructure planning as a key component in future planning and documentation. I admit that I am behind the eight-ball on this issue, the dang bill was passed last year.  I will be blogging about in full in the VERY NEAR future. Just a quick glance over the law gives me the chills when I think of all the taxpayer money that is going to thrown down the drain.

Do Californians See the Light?

Has California finally come to their senses? Not likely, but there are occasional signs that California voters have had enough of the tax and spend attitude of the democrats. Just this past week a Republican, Craig Huey, took second place in a primary run-off in a heavily democrat district in southern California. In California, the top two vote-getters in the primary face off against each other in the general election.

Bush Makes a Bunch on the Lecture Circuit, and the Left is Mad

There is just something about George Bush that the leftist press just can’t seem to leave him alone. Now they are picking at him because he is making a fist full of money on the lecture circuit. In a piece at The Daily Beast the author mentions several times that Bush had wanted to stay out of the limelight, then they go on to chastise him for delivering speeches across the country and the world.

When George W. Bush declined President Obama’s invitation to ceremony at New York’s ground zero after Osama bin Laden was killed, the former president citied his desire to keep a low public profile.

But Bush has been raising his profile in a different, and lucrative, way: He has ranked in millions of dollars since leaving office by making scores of speeches the typically warn him six figures a pop. (Source: The Daily Beast)

Latest Erik Scott Update

Mike over at Confederate Yankee has another update on the Erik Scott case. Scott was killed by officers of the Las Vegas Police Department outside a Las Vegas CostCo. The circumstances surrounding Scott’s death has raised alarms in some circles.  Mike has devoted considerable time and effort to provide information regarding the goings-on within the LVPD.

In this posting, Mike provides more details (and some more questions) about the very possible illegal entry into Scott’s home a day or so after Scott was killed. The central question that Mike poses is ‘why was it necessary to enter someone’s home when it was not germane to the investigation?’

So far the LV media has been pretty quiet about all of this. From my perspective it is a little chilling that the LVPD would so blatantly disregard procedures, but even more concerning that the LV media has also remained mostly quiet. The people of LV deserve to know.

AARP Receives Obama Care Waiver

For anyone who followed the health care debate closely, the latest granted waiver should come as no surprise. AARP is the latest company to receive a waiver from facets of Obama care. AARP was one of the most vocal supporters of Obama care prior to its passage in 2009 despite many members of AARP voicing their displeasure with the bill.

Don't Leave it on the Desk

For those who have read my “About Me” section should know that I am a Christian, but I am not too preachy about it, it just isn’t in my nature. However, every once in a while my Pastor has something I think my readers should know about, or in this case, I run across something I would like you are to see.  I found this on a blog I read nearly every day, Rural Revolution.  The owner of the site, Patrice, has been kind enough to let me link to her stuff on occasion and she has also returned the favor. A reader sent the following to her and she felt, as I do, compelled to post it.

"Don't Leave it on the Desk"

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States.

Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Obama and Israel (Update: Links after the fold)

With this one little President Obama has sold our strongest and most important Middle East ally up the creek without a paddle.

“We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so secure and recognized borders are established for both states,” said President Obama.

I again repeat my question: Why do American-Jews continue to support this President in particular, the democrats in general, and the progressives at all?  I know President Bush wasn’t exactly the strongest supporter of Israel with the land concessions he and his State Department got Israel to agree to, but I don’t think a President and his supporters and have as openly hostile towards Israeli security and interests as the current one.

Subsidies for Natrual Gas Transportation?

I have stated a few times that I am not a supporter of using tax dollars to help an industry that wouldn’t survive on its own.  I don’t think green technology should be subsidized, nor do I think the oil industry should be subsidized. Now there is a move afoot to subsidize a switch from diesel trucks to natural gas burning trucks.

I do think the idea of natural gas vehicles is a good one. Big rigs burn considerably more fuel derived from oil than cars do. Natural gas is plentiful in North America. It burns cleaner than oil products (although not as much as some originally thought). Plus, it could help reduce our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Happy Birthday to Me

PACNW Righty is half a century old today.

Tucson Schools Superintendent Takes Easy Road

This dude is a coward, plain and simple. The superintendent of the Tucson Unified School District, who had planned to make the radical and anti-American Mexican-American Studies an elective rather than a required course, has caved to far-left protesters.  Here is Glenn Beck’s take on the issue.

KOLD, a local Tucson TV station, has a slightly different perspective, calling Superintendent John Pedicone’s change of position “reaching out to Ethnic Studies supporters…”

There comes a point in time when the right thing must be done and in the case of this issue, the class needs to be eliminated as a requirement for graduation. If it must be made as a requirement, then there should be equal time other "blank" Studies. Why not a African-American studies class, or a American Woman’s class, or a White American Studies class, or an American Indian studies?  Heck, each has contributed to the success of this nation. Why must there be a focus on only Mexican-Americans?

Stuff Still Happening in Wisconsin

For many of you, I am sure that since the whole Wisconsin “occupy the state house because we can” thing is weeks in the past, that other issues in Wisconsin probably are not at the top of your reading list.  Well, there is some news to report and it could have far-reaching impacts.

About the same time Wisconsin was coming apart at the seams, there was a political race for a position as Justice on the State Supreme Court. It had become heated, with the democrats throwing a ton of effort to get their candidate, JoAnne Kloppenburg, elected. After the polls were closed and the votes were being tallied it looked like Kloppenburg had defeated David Prosser, the incumbent Justice, in a close race.  But wait, there more. It seems that a county election official forget to push a certain button to get the counties votes into the main vote collection center. Once this error was corrected, Prosser had gained enough votes to top Kloppenburg. The final tally was close enough for a taxpayer funded recount ($500,000 so far in a budget strapped state). Now that it looks like the recount is going to come out in favor of Prosser, the Kloppenburg camp is deciding whether or not to take the results to court.

OK, now that you have the background in a nutshell, you should read this post by Moe Lane over at Red State.com. He thinks it is high time the Wisconsin democrats get a little adult leadership and tell Kloppenburg and her group to go pound sand. Actually, no one said that except me show wishes he could say that to the Kloppenburg group.

Herman Cain's Poll Numbers Surge

While it certainly isn’t time to anoint him as the presumptive Republican nominee, Herman Cain has enjoyed a jump in his poll numbers since the debate last week. It is still waaaayyyyy too early to even hazard a supposition as to who is going to run against Obama in 2012. Several candidates are still trying to get their message out (Romney), others have yet to join (Palin, Bachmann), and still others make a little noise then flame out badly (Trump, Gingrich).

I think if most of us could think back to early 2007 no one had a clue as to the nightmare that was on the horizon. Clinton was the clear front-runner with love-monkey Edwards in the mix. Obama was a barely recognizable junior Senator from the corrupt great state of Illinois who had about 10 days under his belt when he got bored with being “just” and Senator and thought he might give the whole running for president thingy a whirl.

Gas Station Owner Makes Mistake, Out $21,000

Please note the headline indicates a gas station owner, not the oil company, is out $21,000.

Here is something you might find interesting, and maybe a little sad (a video a Glenn Beck.com). It seems that an independent gas station owner made a mistake on his computer when entering the price of a gallon of gas. Somehow, rather than entering $4.29, he entered $1.10. For four hours folks came by purchasing gas from this station and no one said a word to the owner and now he is out $21,000.00.  It is little things like this that really have me worried about the state of affairs in this nation of ours. I wonder if any of the folks who purchased gas from this station feel any guilt at all. If they were trying to get back at the big oil companies, this was a complete failure.  The only person hurt was the owner of the station.  He had already purchased the gas from the distributor.

A Leftist View of Oil Subsidies

Warning: Long Post

Over at the Huffington Post Erich Pica has posted a column titled “People or Polluters: Ending Oil Subsidies” which is a must read if you are interested in the how the left views the oil industry in general and the oil subsidies in particular. Throughout his article he uses the same well-worn progressive strategies of false comparisons, omitting salient and relevant points, and attempting to tug at your emotions.

NOTE: For a more partical look at what exactly is an oil subsidy take a look here.

False Comparisons:

He hits this one right from the start. He compares the four bucks a gallon we are now paying at the pump to the profits made last quarter by the oil companies.

The numbers on every driver’s mind right now is $4.

Gas prices are hovering around $4, and well above that in some areas. However, there are other, much bigger numbers that also merit attention.

$10.7 billion. $7.2 billion. $6.3 billion. $6.2 billion. $3 billion.

Maryland Gives In-State Tuition to Illegals

I know that I have been blogging a lot lately about illegal immigrants and the push to grant them an easy path to citizenship. But I am concerned that Obama and his group are making pushes to complete their progressive agenda.  Because of this push, shining a light on this agenda is my way of pushing back.

As the liberals begin to get the idea that most Americans are not on board with their progressive agenda, they are starting to get a little desperate.  One after another, there are laws passed that most do not want, but have been on the progressive’s plate for a while. Tick them off using your fingers: Health Care, Restrictive speech (politically correct, campaign contribution disclosure for federal contracts), 2nd Amendment (although Heller vs. DC set them back), banning of incandescent bulb.

Unions Front and Center on Obama Care Waivers (Update)

Michelle Malkin has more on the additional Obama Care waivers issue last week. She notes that many of the most recent recipients are unions (no surprise there). This has been a pattern from the word go.

UPDATE:

The Daily Caller has a thorough breakdown of the recipients of the most recent waiver approvals.  As noted, unions (Obama supporters) received a sized slice of the pie. Also note is that Nancy Pelosi's district received 20% of the waivers granted.  Anyone thinking Princess Nancy was getting payback for her taking point on the whole health care bill that was shoved down our throats?.

Gingrich? I Don't Think So

Sister Toldjah is one of my favorite bloggers. Today you should read her take on Newt Gingrich and what he had to say about Paul Ryan’s budget plans, with Gingrich focusing on the MEDICARE reforms.

Along the same lines, this story should also interest you.

Jerry Lewis Retiring From MD Telethon

A long time ago Jerry Lewis was a hero to me. Not because I have muscular dystrophy but because he was a funny and very warm man.  When I was a pre-teen living in Northern California he used to come through town for an annual Pro-Am golf tournament. One year I was lucky enough to get to caddy for him. I only got to do about three holes, but it was a blast and memory I will not soon forget. He was partnered with Oakland Raider great “Big Ben” Davidson and the two of them together was something out of one of his movies. Talk about a goofball.

He is retiring as the host the annual telethon. He has hosted this telethon for 45 years and has raised millions of dollars for research for MD and ALS. I just hope the fund raising doesn’t slow down because he has slowed down. Godspeed to you Jerry. (via Drudge Report)

A $50.00 Light Bulb

In little bits and moves forward, the Obama administration is getting their wish that energy prices will necessarily have to skyrocket. The incandescent light bulb will be illegal to sell after Jan 2012. So far, the replacement bulb, the fluorescent, has not quite lived up to expectations. It doesn’t produce enough light with 60 watts being the limit and is a personal and environmental hazard (contains mercury vapor). And to top it off, it is considerable more expensive than the incandescent bulb. Yes, it does last longer, but when you are on a limited budget buying a $6.00 bulb is a big expense over a package of four at $1.99.

On the horizon in the LED bulb. These are bright, equaling the 100 watt incandescent easily.  But there is a HUGE drawback. The bulbs run about $50.00 each. So, as Obama gets deeper into his first, and hopefully only, term, energy prices continue to go up. (via Drudge Report)

Trump in 2012, Not a Chance

This really comes as no surprise to me but Trump has decided not to run for President. I honestly think he has too many skeletons in his closet to be a serious candidate for President. But it was fun while it lasted, wasn’t it?

Weekend Links

My new job requires me to work weekends now so getting these done on the weeked is tough.

LOCAL:

1. Still more bad news for local Real Estate. When the real estate market collapsed back in 2008, it looked like the state of Washington was going to miss out on the worst of it. Our unemployment didn’t rise like many other large cities. We weren’t without some issues but our major employers, Microsoft, Boeing, the US Military and state and local governments didn’t experience the same downturn like so many other regions did. Well, that is no longer the case. As far as real estate goes, we are still seeing bad numbers and we are catching up with the rest of the nation and it doesn’t seem to want to slow down.

Most recently the three biggest counties, population-wise, saw nearly one-third of home sellers lose money on selling their homes.  The national rate is 37% but we really aren’t that far behind any longer.

Snow Removal

US Highway 20 across the Northern Cascades is being plowed by the Washington State DOT. The highway closes in winter because it is too difficult to keep the highway open due to heavy snowfall and constant avalanches.

Here is some more info on the opening of the Northern Cascades Highway.

Erik Scott Update from Confederate Yankee

Mike over at Confederate Yankee has another update on the Erik Scott case. While Mike’s more recent posts have traveled away from the center of the Erik Scott case, he has started to shine some light on how the Las Vegas Police Department operates and how these other incidents relate to how the Scott case has handled by the LVPD. If you have not bothered to travel over the CY and take a gander at the posts Mike has put up, I really think you should take some time to do so.  In the posts Mike gives vivid details of possible incompetence at best and possible corruption at worst within the LVPD.

It is a little scary when you think about how much power law enforcement has over the people of Las Vegas. As you delve deeper into Mike’s posts it begins to sounds a little like novel written by John Grisham.  But one big difference should stand out to you. Grisham’s novels take place in small towns in the south while this real life drama is played out in one of America’s largest and busiest cities.  I do recommend that you start off at the beginning, when Erick Scott was shot and killed by three LVPD officers outside a local Costco. Click on this link here; make yourself and sandwich and an ice-cold Pepsi, scroll to the bottom then work your way up.

The West Coast Green Highway and My Concerns

Over the course of the past several months I have blogged about the Chevy Volt and the electric vehicle (EV). I have provided some background materials (either through research or from a blogging friend over at Confederate Yankee) and why the EV is not yet ready for prime time (click the “Chevy Volt” ‘label’ on the left side of this blog). Despite this lack of practicality, many states and municipalities across the USofA are sinking taxpayer dollars into EV projects such as charging stations and tax breaks for purchasing an EV.

In my home state of Washington there is a large scale project underway, in partnership with California and Oregon as well as private green industry.  This project is called the West Coast Green Highway.  The goal is to install charging stations along the I-5 corridor every 40 miles, give or take, so folks can recharge their EV batteries. The problem with this is that batteries now used in these EVs are not designed to charge quickly. A 3 hours jaunt from Tacoma to Portland in a gas-power vehicle could conceivably take upwards of 8 to 10 hours in an electric vehicle. To top that off, the Chevy volt doesn’t even discharge its battery when driving at Interstate speeds, rendering the charging stations useless.

Unions for Palestine

As many of you may already know I have been occasional blogging about the left and why Jewish folks support them when most of what the left stands for is anti-Israeli.  For some reason the left gets a fairly sizable majority of the Jewish vote despite a progressive track record that is anything but pro-Israel. Now another institution of the left, the unions, is showing their hand in support of the Palestinians. Over at “Moonbat Tracker” are a couple of videos showing the some unions representatives showing banners supporting the Palestinian cause.

Weekly Update (First Edition)

I am going to start a new feature today. When I can I will provide a weekly update of the week’s previous posts. If there are updates they will be added here.  If there are no updates then I will provide the link to my post and a very brief synopsis of the post.  If it is anything like my “weekend links” then the “Weekly Update” will be posted on Sunday. Of course, the weekend links don’t always show up on Sunday, but that is the goal.  The order will be oldest to most recent.  Let me know what you think.

1. Christian Churches Burned in Egypt. So far, no proof points to the Muslim Brotherhood having any hand in the Christian church burnings in Egypt that killed several people but the MB does not hold Christians in high regard.

2. Conspiracy Theories Have Some Traction. A link to some conspiracies, such as JFK and Cuba, that actually wound up being true.

3. New Scandal Hits Detroit. Detroit has been through the ringer from scandal after scandal over the past several years. This story outlines the most recent and provides links to some of the more prominent scandals in recent years. Take note that most were perpetuated by democrats. Doesn’t mean Republicans have their hands clean, I’m just sayin’.

Use Ethanol, Get your Warranty Voided

Isn’t this just swell? As the Obama Administration continues to push increased use of ethanol to fuel our combustion engines it seems that some automobile makes will not honor their warranties if the E15 blend is used. There is concern that the increased ethanol blend will shorten the life of the gaskets, significantly degrading engine performance.

Couple this will the environmental issues with ethanol and it seems the Obama Administration isn’t as smart as it might seem.

Chinese Controlling Green Technology

Be careful as you read the following story in the NY Times. If you only read it without really reading it, you might come away with the feeling that China is cleaning up its act pollution-wise faster than the US. Read it closely and you will see this has nothing to do with “saving the planet” and everything to do with PRODUCTION and CONTROL of green technologies.  They are doing a better job of making windmills than we are despite the fact that our President and has cabal of eco-nuts are in charge.

As we shift our energy production ever so slowly over to green technology, we will also be shifting our jobs elsewhere. We no longer make incandescent light bulbs and all fluorescent bulbs are made overseas. Most of our energy efficient appliances are not made in the USofA, but in other countries. As we move away from the oil-based energy production, the jobs associated with oil will be lost and China will be building our windmills.

Just Throw Out That Pesky 4th Amendment

As has been mentioned on this site many times before, we are experiencing a slow erosion of our rights.  Just last week the Indiana Supreme Court basically deemed the 4th Amendment null and void.  Doug Powers has the full story over at Michelle Malkin’s blog.  I am willing to bet this decision will eventually be overturned by a higher court, but just the fact that there are people who are in positions such as a State Supreme Court Justice view the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as impediments to government actions rather than protections from government actions is just plain scary to me. But I guess it is to be expected when you consider who currently resides in the White House.

Number of Obama Care Waivers Continue to Climb

So what is the point of have an insurance mandate in your bill if all you’re going to do is approve waivers? The number of health care waivers granted by the Obama Administration has almost reached 1,400.  Granted, it is just a drop in the bucket when you compare the number of individuals and companies that are affected by the Obama Care law, but it is possible the “need” for these waivers might indicate the law is not so good (beyond the unconstitutionality).

Boeing, NLRB Update

I have been trying to provide updates and analysis on the on-going dispute between Boeing and the National Labor Relations Board.  In a nutshell, the NLRB has filed a complaint against Boeing that could prevent Boeing from opening a new 787 Dreamliner production line in South Carolina.

In response to the NLRB’s actions the president and CEO of Boeing Jim McNerney posted a letter in the Wall Street Journal.  Well worth a read since it gives a completely different perspective. I’m sure the truth lays somewhere in between what McNerney writes and the complaint filed by the NLRB. Give the very distinct pro-union and anti-business stances of the Obama Administration I have a strong feeling the balance of the truth is much closer to McNerney’s take. (Link via Jennifer Rubin at the Washington Post)

And speaking of Jennifer Rubin, read her full article here.  She provides an interesting take on how this issue, if projected properly could be a huge issue in the 2012 Presidential election.

I think the outcome of this issue will have far-reaching impact on the business climate in the US. If the NLRB is able to prevail, this will more than likely send shockwaves through the business community. If the unions are able to apply and win with this kind of government intervention, what other business moves will the unions try to stop? If a business wants to move out of a high tax state like California, Illinois, or New York would the unions try to get the federal government to step in a stop the move?

One thing union leadership has never been able to reconcile in their little brains is that the jobs do not belong to them. The jobs belong to the company or business that creates them. If the business wants to move to a better business climate, say a right to work state, that is within their right to do so. But if the unions have their way this will no longer be the case.

Broken Blogger: Update

Some of my posts have been scrambled due to the issues Google Blogger was having yesterday. If you commented on any the previous eight or so posts, those comments have been lost.

LSU Students Say No to Flag Burning

Gotta love this!  Seems that students at Louisiana State University (LSU) decided they have had enough folks trashing the USofA.  A student at LSU tried to burn the American flag and was chased off the campus by a good sized crowd of LSU students.

Michelle Malkin has more along with some video.

It would be a wonderful trend if conservative students and students of sound mind from colleges all across the US decided they have had enough of their campuses being control by the progressive minority. Although the LSU students might have taken it a tad too far, the fact they decided enough is enough fills me with pride. (h/t: Drudge Report)

Is Amnesty Around the Corner?

Speaking of Michelle Malkin, she has a GREAT column on President Obama’s latest toe-dip into the pool of immigration reform (code words for amnesty). In her column she makes clear this new push for amnesty is nothing more than a political push as we approach 2012. I think anyone who can add 1+1 and come up with 2 already know this, but Michelle has done an awesome job of putting the pieces together.

In a previous post I directed you to a commencement speech given by Obama where he made it abundantly clear that the next box he wants to check off is granting some form of amnesty for the 12+ million illegal immigrants currently residing illegally in the US.  The DREAM Act is only the first step. I firmly believe that if the DREAM Act is passed, it will only be a short matter of time before more action is taken in granting some form of citizenship to all illegals.

Humor

Whether you consider yourself a cowboy, an independent cuss, or just plain folks, I think you will like this.  It was sent to me by a good friend.  Thanks Pro.

Cowboy rules for the folks out west:

1. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot.

2. Turn your cap right, your head ain't crooked.

3. Let's get this straight: it's called a 'gravel road.' I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're gonna get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.

4. They are cattle. That's why they smell like cattle. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? I-10 I-40 & I-70 go east and west, I-17  I-15 & I-25 goe north and south. Pick one and go.
 

Man Overboard

Good grief, this really figures. Admiral Mullins, the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, was the point-man for Obama’s repeal of DADT and subsequent law to allow gays to serve openly in the military. Please note this was an Admiral, not an Army or Marine General leading the charge. Now the Navy is going to allow their chaplains the ability to perform same-sex marriages. What is even more amazing is that the leap from allowing gays to serve in the military to allowing them to marry was made so dang fast. I think there is a feeling within the Obama cabal that their time is short and all the hope and change needs to get done is four short years.

Is Obama A Policy Wonk or A Political Hack?

Are President Obama’s policy decisions based on what he truly feels is best for the country or are they calculated political moves?

Over the course of his 2+ years in office Obama has tackled a few very controversial issues, with the American public at large not behind the decisions he has made.

In his first big policy decision he took on health care. I don’t really think you’ll get much arguement from any corner of the political spectrum that the health care system in America needed some fixing. Rising costs in actual health care expenses and insurance are a huge concern for almost everyone. Even folks who might be considered well-do-to are looking at their health care expenses (now and in the future) and wondering how to pay for it all. And there are also those who have no hope of affording any kind of health care coverage except for emergency care which is generally taxpayer covered if one cannot afford to pay.

DREAM Act Coming Soon

Just in case you were wondering if I was just bloviating about the DREAM Act, Politico (not my favorite site but it has its uses) has the story and it surely looks like the democrats are going to reintroduce the DREAM Act. The last time it passed the democrat-controlled House, but I don’t think it will even make it to the Senate where it failed to overcome a filibuster the last time.

I do want to add that I am not necessarily against the DREAM Act, but I don’t like it in its current form and I fear what comes after. I have absolutely no doubts that Obama and the progressives will attempt to pass further legislation that will grant more and more illegal immigrants (we don’t call them undocumented workers here at PACNW Righty) amnesty.

Turning the Table on the NLRB

A very interesting take on the actions taken by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Boeing and Boeing’s desire to move part of the 787 Dreamliner production to South Carolina, a right-to-worker state. The author suggests that the workers of South Carolina use the same tactics being used by the labor unions to make the NLRB pick either the labor unions or the workers in general.

See the background here and here (or you can click on the NLRB label on the left side of my blog).

American Flag Offends

At an elementary school in Orange, MA, a teacher would not hang a picture of the US flag drawn by an 11-year old student because “his picture of the American Flag would offend another student.”

If you are offended by the American flag, then maybe you should live someplace else! Why in tarnation would someone live in a country when that flag would offend you?

New Scandal Hits Detroit

Detroit has long been known as a city filled with corruption a mayor who went to prison for lying under oath, to a group of school district employees who stole a pile of money, to a mayoral aide who has been charged with bribery and extortion.

Now it appears they city has yet another scandal on their hands (via Drudge Report). $1.2 million dollars was awarded in a no-bid contract (warning bells right there) by the Human Services Department to a non-profit to pay employees who were to provide food and other assistance to Detroit’s poor. Somehow some of that money found its way back to the Human Services Department in the form of furniture worth more than $200,000.

Blogger Broken

I was unable to update the blog yesterday as the blogger system was down. I hope that I didn’t miss too much.  I should be able to update today and tonight.

Conspiracy Theories Have Some Traction

For all you conspiracy theorists, here is some hope for you that Obama was born in Kenya and bin Laden is still alive. I am not poking fun at you, I mean that. The reasoning behind your thought processes does get me to wonder at times, but I just can’t see it.  Anyway, there have been a few conspiracy theories that have turned out to be true. Here are a few examples.

Weekend Links (I Know, It's Monday Already)

LOCAL:

1. Limiting Debt in Washington State.  A proposed state constitutional amendment would limit the amount of debt the state can carry from year to year at about 5%.  Currently the percentage is about 6%. Most of the borrowing is to fund large-scale construction projects such as schools and highways.

In a typical democrat moment Hans Dunshee, a democrat from north of Seattle, said he didn’t think this amendment is such a good idea at a time when more taxpayer money needs to be spent to get us out of the recession.

Dunshee says the proposal would tie the legislature’s hands and reduce spending on construction at a time when builders could use the work

“As it’s currently constructed, it (the amendment) kills off a lot of jobs.  Is that really what we want to do over the next 10 years?” he said. (Source: Seattle Times)

2. Seattle School scandal takes out another. Seattle Urban League, which has helped minority-owned businesses get government contracts, has reduced staff and is considering selling its headquarters building in the wake of the Seattle Schools Superintendent scandal earlier this year.